Free Web Site Launched to Help Immigrants Learn English, November 7, 2008

The U.S. Department of Education today launched U.S.A. Learns, a free
Web site to help immigrants learn English. The Web site, which is
located at www.USALearns.org,
provides approximately 11 million adults who have low levels of English
proficiency with easily accessible and free English language training.

"America's limited-English adults will now have readily available
materials to improve their literacy and help them become more
productive workers, better parents, engaged community members and
active citizens," said Troy Justesen, assistant secretary for the
Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

Launch of the site
completes one of the goals in President Bush's Aug. 10, 2007,
announcement of 26 immigration reforms that his Administration would
pursue within existing law -- including the assimilation of new
citizens and helping immigrants learn English to expand their
opportunities in America. Recognizing that "[knowledge of English is
the most important component of assimilation" and "an investment in
tools to help new Americans learn English will be repaid many times
over," the Administration pledged to launch a free, Web-based portal to
help immigrants learn English.

U.S.A. Learns offers the following features:

* An easily accessible Internet learning tool;
* Simple directions;
* Free instructional materials developed to teach basic English
skills and help adults improve their English proficiency; and
* Learning modules that can be used outside a traditional classroom

Upon entering the site, users can choose directions in either English
or Spanish and then pick which English level they need -- beginner or
intermediate. Once in the modules, the instruction is almost
exclusively in English. In the beginner course, 20 units are offered in
such areas as numbers, the calendar, places to go, families, schools,
clothes, money and shopping. For intermediate students, more
challenging exercises can help them further their existing English
reading and writing skills.

The 2003 National Assessment of
Adult Literacy documented that as many as 11 million adults in the U.S.
are not literate in English. Currently, local and state providers have
the ability to serve only approximately one million of those learners
annually, prompting the need for a Web site of this kind to offer to
adults seeking easily accessible English literacy training.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult
Education, through its Division of Adult Education and Literacy,
oversaw the design of U.S.A. Learns. Core funding was provided by the
U.S. Department of Education. The University of Michigan and Sacramento
County Office of Education assisted the U.S. Education Department in
the development of the U.S.A. Learns Web site. The site uses materials
previously developed with public funds.

In addition, the U.S.
Department of Education plans to invite proposals from outside entities
to take over the adult literacy portal in the future.